


meanwhile the world goes on

by Ro29



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Injury, Forehead Kisses, Happy Ending, Helix and Terror are long suffering, Hurt CC-2224 | Cody, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Non-Graphic Violence, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Pushing through a seemingly hopeless situation, Serious Injuries, Vague Descriptions, Whump, but like, never described so kinda accurate?, no one dies, with hope and love and a little bit of tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28998318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ro29/pseuds/Ro29
Summary: He presses the last of the bacta onto Cody's side, and the despair makes it's home deep in his bones.There are too many injuries, too severe, and there is no more bacta.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 16
Kudos: 148





	meanwhile the world goes on

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aroacejoot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroacejoot/gifts), [Everything_or_Anything](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Everything_or_Anything/gifts).



> title is from mary oliver's 'wild geese'
> 
> i just...I'm love them, and this one is ace's fault for enabling and Tink's fault for making me sad about Cody and then causing me to finish this in revenge lskfjlsd

Obi-Wan can't breathe, there is something ripping his heart out and tearing it to pieces.

He shakes and the world is blurry and he can not afford this weakness but it is _Cody_ and he can't lose him.

He has already lost so much. And there is still time.

The battle has already been won, he'll let himself have this, if only because if he doesn't he thinks he might shake apart, tear himself limb from limb.

He cradles Cody’s head, whispers like a mantra, “Not yet, Cody, not you."

He presses the last of the bacta onto Cody's side, and the despair makes it's home deep in his bones.

There are too many injuries, too severe, and there is no more bacta.

He swallows and presses a wet kiss to Cody's forehead, can't keep the accusation out of his voice, "You said you’d do anything for me dear heart, you promised.”

Cody groans, weak, his breath shallow and life flickering steadily out and Obi-Wan chokes down a scream or a cry.

He swallows past the fear knotting tightly in his chest, past the sob curled, waiting, in his throat. and reaches out to the Force, begs and begs like he has only done a few times in his life and pushes as much life and healing into Cody as he can. Trembles with the effort as it drains away his own strength.

He shakes, whispers, “You said you’d do anything for me once, my dear, now I am asking you to live. I am begging you to live.”

Cody shakes, forces his eyes, bleary and glassy, opened, reaches a hand up to Obi-Wan’s face and shudders, “Trying.” He rasps out.

Obi-Wan chokes on a laugh that is more sob than anything, can feel the groggy determination Cody is bleeding out into the Force like it is the blood seeping out of his body.

"I know," he says, "I know."

_Please_ , he begs the Force, and anything listening, _please_.

Cody’s blood is warm on his hands, sticky and accusing and Obi-Wan breathes, presses down into _keldabe_ , holds Cody together as best he can.

“Cody, my dear,” he rasps, “you promised, I am asking you Cody, I am asking you.”

He takes a shuddering breath, presses himself around Cody, holds him gently in the Force and wraps layer upon layer of protection, of cover, of healing. He goes until he is shaking again.

Cody murmurs a protest and Obi-Wan breathes out a sob, “Please, Cody.” he begs, “This is the only thing I ask for. The _only_ thing.”

Cody breathes, wraps a cold shaking hand around the nape of Obi-Wan’s neck and pulls him down. It’s weak and with such little force it is almost nothing, but it’s still _something_ and right now Obi-Wan will take anything.

“ _Di’kut_ ,” Cody murmurs and Obi-Wan laughs, shudders, shakes.

“ _Always_ ,” he admits, feels Cody’s pulse steady slowly, so slowly, “and I’m afraid you love me for it, dear one.”

Cody huffs, “Impaired judgement,” he breathes out and Obi-Wan can feel the faint presence of the 212th and nearly sobs with relief.

“Oh, yes,” he agrees, “awful judgment really. But I’m afraid you’ve gone and gotten stuck with me.”

Cody’s grip on his neck spasms as he laughs weakly.

“Wouldn’ want,” He starts, cuts off and breathes in, closes his eyes, “t’ be ‘nywhere else, Sir.”

Obi-Wan laughs and it is maybe a tad hysteric. And his heart is heavy, but he feels so very fond as he speaks, voice warm through his fear, “Nor would I dear heart.”

There’s a shout nearby and Obi-Wan presses a kiss to Cody’s forehead and pulls himself together, forces himself calm as he looks up.

He breathes out and it’s relief, pure and simple, at the sight of Helix and Terror making their way towards them.

Obi-Wan doesn’t let up the pressure on Cody’s biggest wound as he settles into _keldabe_ again and stubbornly does not think that will be the last time he gets to. He waits, listening to Cody’s shaky breaths until Helix and Terror descend upon them and shoo Obi-Wan out of the way so they can work.

He stands, shaky and covered with Cody’s blood.

He lets his medic’s do their work, trusts them with this, with their Commander, knows that they will do all they can.

He breathes in deep, acknowledges that terrible fear that claws at him, takes it into his hands and knows it for what it is. The thought of continuing on without his trusted commander, his friend, his steady companion. Let’s himself dig deeper and acknowledge the anger at himself, the selfish thought that he would be able to change everything if he was there, the knowledge that he may have been able to cover Cody better if he was by his side.

He lets it flow out of him, knows that he was exactly where he was supposed to be, knows that if he had been by Cody’s side then he would have lost far more men than he did today. Knows if he had left his post when he first realized Cody was in danger he’d have put the campaign in danger.

He cradles the knowledge that ensuring the campaign was finished and his other men were safe before rushing to Cody’s side was the best thing to do, in his hands, knowing it was the only way to get out of this mess with most of his men safe and the planet back under Republic control.

He opens his eyes and his heart is still heavy, will maybe always grow heavier at the way this war has forced these decisions to be necessary on this scale, but he is more centered. Not quite at peace, still worried for his dear Cody, but it’s easier to focus now, to go through the motions of post-battle and post-campaign.

He gathers himself up, pieces himself and his heart back together haphazardly and walks away, pushes his anxiety away for now and forces himself to focus on the rest of his men.

Helix and Terror will comm him, will do everything in their power to save Cody and maybe more.

He trusts in that, _has_ to trust in that.

Has to trust in Cody, has to hope that he will do this one thing Obi-Wan has ever dared ask of him. He knows it’s unfair, but he clings to it nevertheless.

He’s never quite been able to give up on hope before, and he isn’t about to start now.

* * *

It’s hours later when Terror comms him.

Obi-Wan has long since finished helping with clean up and moved on to completing his paperwork and any of Cody’s that hadn’t yet been done.

The comm is short, tells him that Cody is stable and recovering but still asleep for now, that Cody will be fine.

He sets the comm down when he finishes reading, puts his head in his hands and stays like that. Shaking, chest flooded with an all-consuming relief that floods him and nestles its way into his bones.

It is everything he could’ve hoped for.

It is more than he thought he would get, more than he knows he deserves.

He stands, makes his way to MedBay as quickly as he can. Helix looks up as he walks in and his face is one of wry resignation.

“Figured you were gonna come up anyways,” he says and Obi-Wan’s lips twitch up even as adrenaline fills his veins.

He breathes, tips his head in the direction he can feel Cody, “Does that mean I can see him?”

Helix huffs, “Sure, long as you don’t wake him up.”

Obi-Wan exhales, shoulders relaxing, and dips his head in thanks.

“I’ll do my best.”

Helix snorts, gives him a quick look over, “Well, that’s all I can ask for I suppose, c’mon.”

Obi-Wan steps forward and Helix stops him, voice firm, “As soon as you're done you’re gonna head over to Terror to get checked.”

Obi-Wan frowns, “Now really Helix I’m perfectly —”

“General if the next word out of your mouth is fine, I’m going to have to ask you to kindly shut the kriff up.”

Obi-Wan furrows his brow, “Now really Helix there’s no need.”

Helix raises an eyebrow, crosses his arms and sets his feet and Obi-Wan huffs, “Alright, yes, fine, I will go to Terror afterward.”

“ _Good._ Now let’s go.”

Obi-Wan smiles a little at that, following Helix to where his Commander is lying, asleep and _alive_ and as safe as he can get in this war that none of them can ever seem to escape.

Helix gives him a nod and one final threatening look before leaving them, it would be hilarious if Obi-Wan could make his lungs work properly.

He lingers in the doorway, a little like a ghost, heart caught in his throat and barely breathing.

Obi-Wan looks at Cody’s face, lined with tension even in his sleep and he stays standing despite the itch under his skin to trace the scar on Cody’s face, hesitates to get too close to Cody and disturb him.

Wants, at the same time, to make a home next to Cody’s side until his heart no longer aches and his mind doesn’t catch on the empty space by his side, until the fear stops trying to make a place in his chest.

He watches Cody’s chest rise and fall, an easy rhythm as if Obi-Wan had not felt every laboured attempt to keep breathing Cody had made, as if he’d not held Cody in his arms, tries to press the blood back into his body and keep that heart beating.

Obi-Wan knows war, knows battle and loss and suffering.

He has never grown used to it, only more tired.

He is so very thankful that today was not the day he lost Cody. Knows that the day will come when he does.

He hopes that when it does it is not soon. Knows that no matter what, if Cody dies before he does he will hold him in his heart fondly and let him go, help him live on and not become a wraith of a thing, a memory twisted.

But that day is not today and Cody is alive and Obi-Wan is here and it is suddenly the easiest decision to walk quietly to the bedside, sit in the chair and study that sleeping face, run a gentle hand over Cody’s cheek and feel so very warm.

He watches as the tension seems to drain away from Cody and he breathes out shakily, traces his scar with gentle fingers.

He repeats the motion, again and again. It’s a soothing gesture, though whether it’s meant for himself or Cody he isn’t sure.

He closes his eyes, let’s himself sink into that hazy, warm feeling of contentment.

For just a moment, everything is okay.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to find me other places I have a [writing tumblr](https://rose-blooms-red.tumblr.com) and a [fandom tumblr](https://themessofthecentury.tumblr.com)
> 
> Please come yell at me about Star Wars and DC!


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